


Accidentally On Purpose

by Millerfan_43



Category: The Royal Romance (Visual Novel)
Genre: Abusive Relationships, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Anxiety, Anxiety Attacks, Drama, F/M, Intimacy, Not Canon Compliant, POV Third Person, Romance, Sexual Content
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-15
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 23:34:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 9,056
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29462079
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Millerfan_43/pseuds/Millerfan_43
Summary: This is an alternative idea of how the story could have been different under different circumstances. I hope you like what I've done!***Updates will be made on an as and when basis, but I will try not to leave it too long between posts.I've rated it as mature due to the tags I have added. I think I have covered them all, but I will make a note of any others at the beginning of the chapters.Please use your discretion when noting the tags as to whether you want to proceed with reading.Thank you!
Relationships: Drake Walker/Original Character(s)
Comments: 5
Kudos: 4





	1. Chapter 1

Sophia smiled as she waved goodbye to some regular customers, but the smile quickly faded as a man walked in. He was the last person she had wanted to see at the end of a hectic shift.  
“Ready to go?” The man leant against the bar.  
“I’m on the clock for another ten minutes, you know that, Kyle.” Sophia walked past him to go and clear the plates from the table the customers had just left. “Besides, I’ve still got to cash up. We’re short staffed as it is and Toni had to leave early as she has college in the morning.”  
Kyle shook his head. “You may as well start counting the cash now. It’s not like you’re going to get any more customers.”  
Sophia ignored him as she disappeared into the kitchen, returning just as a group of men walked in.  
“You were saying?” She said, sarcastically as she passed Kyle to greet them.  
“How can I help you this evening?” She smiled brightly.  
A blonde man, seemingly the main one of the group smiled warmly back at her. “Do you have a table for three?”   
“Right this way.” Sophia signalled for the men to follow her.  
After the men were seated, Sophia went to pick up three menus from the bar.  
“What are you doing?” Kyle hissed.  
“Earning a little extra money.” Sophia replied through gritted teeth as she took the menus to the group.

After Sophia had served the men their food, she returned to the bar, replacing the clean glasses onto the shelves.  
Kyle stared at the men, before turning back to Sophia. “How long is this going to take?”  
“Looks to me like a bachelor party so I don’t know. Two hours plus, depending on whether they have dessert, or more drinks.”  
Kyle huffed. “I can’t believe you let them in.”  
“I’m not going to turn down custom, Kyle. One of us has to earn some decent money.”  
“Bitch.” Kyle glared at her.  
One of the men, who had been on his way to the restroom, changed his course and headed for the bar.  
“Is this man giving you trouble?” The man was tall, perhaps six foot, if not slightly taller. He had a flop of brown hair across his forehead.  
“It’s ok, but thank you for your concern.” Sophia smiled at the man.  
He nodded at her. “If you’re sure.” He gave Kyle another look before continuing on his way to the restroom.

When Drake returned from the restroom he was met by curious looks from the other men.  
“Everything ok over there?” The blonde man asked.  
“The waitress says so, but I think we should keep an eye on him.” Drake glared over at Kyle. “I’m sorry Liam, I know this is your night.”  
“Don’t apologize, Drake. I’m happy for us to keep an eye out for her.”  
Liam looked over at the bar, where Sophia was being berated by Kyle. She looked up and smiled at Liam as if nothing was wrong, despite the fact he’d already noticed that she looked on the verge of tears.

When they finished their meals, Sophia came over to clear their table.  
“Would you like to look at the dessert menu?”  
“Yes please!” The youngest looking of the men answered brightly.  
“Of course.” She smiled as she walked away with their dirty plates.  
“Are you serious? Your chef isn't even here anymore.” Kyle huffed as Sophia picked up the dessert menus.  
“I can handle desserts. You don’t have to wait around for me Kyle.”  
“What, and leave you alone with these men?”  
Sophia shrugged. “What’s wrong with that? Are you jealous?”  
Before Kyle could answer she left to give the men their menus.  
“Why would I be jealous of them?” He questioned when she returned.  
“Well for a start at least one of them knows how to respect a woman.”  
Kyle stepped forward, positioning himself in a way to try to look intimidating. “Don’t make me create a scene, Sophia.”  
Neither of them noticed the presence at the bar until Drake cleared his throat.  
“Could I order some drinks for the table, please?”  
He glanced at Kyle who was glaring at him.  
“Do you have a problem?” Kyle questioned aggresively.  
“Kyle!” Sophia was shocked at the way Kyle spoke to her customer.  
“No,” Drake replied calmly. “should I?”  
Kyle didn’t answer, but didn’t break his glare away from Drake.  
Sophia smiled at Drake, although he could see it didn’t quite reach her eyes.  
“What can I get for you?”  
“One bottle of champagne and one whiskey, neat. Could I order those desserts while I’m here too?”  
“Of course, what would you like?”  
“One sticky toffee pudding, one chocolate brownie and a tutti frutti sundae please.”  
“Coming right up. I’ll bring everything over for you.”  
Drake nodded and smiled at her.  
“This is a joke, Sophia.You should have closed hours ago. Why can’t you learn to speak up for yourself?”  
“Just go home, Kyle. I’ve told you already, I’m not going to turn custom away.”  
She put the drinks on a tray and took them over to the table.  
“Champagne, two glasses and one whiskey.” She placed the champagne in the middle of the table, handed out the glasses and placed the whiskey in front of Drake.  
“I’m sorry about Kyle. He’s a little…”  
“Controlling?” Drake suggested.  
“You could say that.” Sophia gave him a half smile. “I’ll make sure he doesn’t speak to you like that again.”  
“Don’t worry about me. Just try not to let him treat you like that.”  
She bit her lip and gave a slight nod. “Desserts coming right up.” She flashed the table a smile and went straight to the kitchen, ignoring Kyle completely.

When she returned with the desserts, Kyle stepped into her path. “Why’d you ignore me, Sophia?”  
“Excuse me, Kyle, I need to deliver these desserts.”  
“Answer me and you can go.”  
“Kyle, please move.” She tried to step past him but he nudged her firmly, causing the desserts to be knocked all over her, staining her uniform.  
Drake, Liam and Maxwell watched as Sophia’s energy visibly drained away. Drake looked at Liam who nodded at his friend, both of them knowing what the other meant without them needing to say a word.  
Drake stood up and walked over to the bar.  
“Kyle, go home.” Sophia said as firmly as she could.  
“I’m fine here thanks.”  
“I’m not asking you, Kyle, I’m telling you. Get out!”  
Kyle’s expression became one of pure anger.  
“I’m not going anywhere and you can’t do a thing about it.”  
“But I can.” Drake stood in front of Kyle, squaring his shoulders, making his already tall frame look even bigger. He easily stood taller than Kyle.  
“You think I’m scared of you?” Kyle smirked.  
“I don’t care what you think about me. What I care about is your blatant disrespect for this woman. She’s asked you leave, so leave.”  
“Make me.” Kyle stared Drake down.  
“You don’t need to ask twice.” Drake took a firm grip of Kyle’s upper arm and began leading him towards the door. When they got to the door, Drake shoved Kyle outside.  
“You want to bring this whole thing outside, tough man?” Kyle challenged.  
Drake laughed and shook his head. “You’re not worth the effort.”  
With that, he shut the door and Sophia quickly locked it.  
“Thank you.” She smiled weakly at Drake.  
“Are you ok?” He put his hand on her arm.  
“Yeah.” She nodded. “Nothing I’m not used to.”  
Before Drake could say any more, she walked over to the rest of the group.  
“I’m so sorry about all of that. I’ll go and get you those desserts.”  
“Honestly, you don’t have to do that.” The younger of the men said with sympathetic eyes.  
“No, I’d like to. It’s the least I can do.”  
Before anyone could stop her, she hurried into the kitchen.

As she began to remake the desserts, she was suddenly overcome with the emotion of the evening., and before she could stop herself, she began to cry.  
She was interrupted by a knock on the door. She sniffed and quickly wiped at her eyes before the younger man popped his head into the kitchen.  
“Can I help you with anything?” He asked, before noticing that she was crying. “Are you ok?”  
He instinctively walked over to her and wrapped her in a hug.  
“I’m fine, thank you. I’ll get your desserts to you soon.”  
“Let me help you.”  
“You really don’t have to do that.”  
“We’re not a group of guys that let a woman deal with that kind of crap on her own.” He smiled at her. “I’m Maxwell.”  
“Sophia.” She smiled back. “Thank you.”

While Maxwell was in the kitchen, the two other men were deep in discussion.  
“I feel like we owe this woman a drink. I should have checked closing time with her before I asked for a table.” Liam said.  
“Maybe we should invite her to join us, for a little while at least.”   
“I agree with you. It’s the least we can do. ”  
“Just a couple of drinks and then I’ll make sure she gets home safely.” Drake added, although even if she didn't join them, he would be making sure she got home without running into that guy again.  
Liam nodded. “I’ll put it to her when she returns from the kitchen.”

“So, who’s the groom?” Sophia asked as Maxwell scooped the ice cream for the sundae.  
“Technically Liam.”  
“Technically?” Sophia cocked an eyebrow inquisitively.  
“Well, he’s not actually got a bride yet.” He said, as he shook a few sprinkles into his mouth.  
Sophia smiled at his actions. “So, why the bachelor party?”  
Maxwell shrugged. “I’ve probably already said too much.”  
“Mysterious.” Sophia grinned at him.  
“You don’t often get much free time like this when you’re part of the royal family.” Maxwell’s face paled. “Now I really have said too much.”  
Sophia laughed. “Don’t worry, your secret is safe with me.”  
“Thanks.” He smiled as he added more sprinkles to the sundae finishing it off with a wafer and chocolate flake.  
Sophia put everything on the tray and they walked over to the table.

As they approached, Liam stood up.  
“I feel I must apologize for holding you up this evening. I should have checked your closing time before I asked for a table, but with this virus and potential global lock-down hanging over us I selfishly thought only of being able to enjoy my evening. If it hadn’t been for our late entry, you would have avoided the drama.”  
Sophia smiled. “Honestly, you don’t have to apologize. He gets like that.”  
“Still, I’d like to invite you to join us for a couple of drinks after you’ve closed up here.”  
“I don’t want to crash your party.”  
“You wouldn’t be. We’d enjoy your company.”  
Sophia looked at the men and they all smiled at her. Her eyes met Drake’s. If she joined them, she’d at least be able to thank him properly for helping her that night.  
“Ok. If it’s really not a problem then I would like to join you.”  
Liam grinned. “Fantastic. Where would you suggest we go?”  
“There’s a nice cove not too far from here. It’s secluded. You could make a bonfire, have a dip in the water. I could buy a couple of bottles from the bar and we could take them?”  
“That sounds perfect.” Liam smiled.

Down at the cove, Liam and Maxwell took off their shoes, rolled up their trousers and headed straight for the water. Drake hung back and began constructing a bonfire.  
“Can I help?” Sophia asked.  
Drake shook his head. “You just sit back and relax. You’ve done enough work for one evening.”  
She smiled at him. “Thank you for your help tonight.”  
“It’s nothing.” Drake shrugged. “No one deserves to be treated like that.”  
Sophia bit her lip. “I guess it’s been so long, I’m kind of used to it.”  
“He’s a regular?”  
“He’s my boyfriend.”  
Drake looked at her. “You deserve better than that jerk.”  
“Maybe.”  
Drake could see how worn down she was, and it made him both sad and angry that she had grown so used to Kyle’s behaviour.  
As the bonfire began to glow, the other men rejoined them. Sophia got some bottles from the crate of beer and handed one each to Liam and Maxwell. She opened her bag and handed Drake a bottle of whiskey.  
“This is all for me?”  
“Unless you don’t mind sharing?”  
“Of course.” He handed her the bottle back and she took a swig.  
“Sorry, that wasn’t very ladylike of me.”  
Drake shrugged. “It doesn’t bother me. I admire a woman who can handle her whiskey.”

While the night progressed the four of them chatted and joked together. Drake tapped Maxwell on the arm and subtly signalled for him to look at his phone.  
Maxwell read the message Drake had sent.  
'I’ve had an idea. Sophia = sponsor?'


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aggression/violence in this chapter.  
> I think that is all, but apologies if I have missed anything!

The next morning, Sophia was surprised to find Maxwell waiting outside the bar when she arrived for work.  
“Hi Maxwell. What are you doing here?”  
“I was hoping I could speak to you before you start.”  
“Of course. What’s up?”  
“You know I said that Liam didn’t have a bride yet?”  
“Yeah.” Sophia looked at him quizzically.  
“Basically there is a kind of competition to win his hand between the ladies of various noble houses. Now, I know you have a boyfriend, but he showed himself to be a real jerk last night, so I have a proposition for you.”  
“And what would that proposition be?”  
“I don’t have a sister, but I can sponsor another woman to represent my house. Would you like to be that woman?”  
Maxwell waited hesitantly for her answer.  
"But I don't have feelings for Liam. Surely it wouldn't be fair to lead him on like that?"  
"It's not quite the fairy tale romance you'd imagine" Maxwell flashed a lopsided smile. "If anything, it'll be an adventure" He shrugged. "It doesn't have to be forever, if you change your mind, I'll arrange a flight home. You won't be tied to anything, I promise." He paused. "It's entirely up to you."  
Sophia sighed. “Honestly Maxwell, I’m not sure. I don’t think I’m impulsive enough to make a big decision like that without some time to think about it first.”  
“I understand. I’m afraid time isn’t something we have a lot of though. Liam has already left for Cordonia, to find out what’s happening regarding this virus but Drake and I have a plane leaving in a few hours.”  
“And that leaves me how long to make a decision?”  
Maxwell lifted his wrist, looking at his watch. “An hour tops if we’re to get to the airport in time.”  
Sophia sighed. “I’m sorry Maxwell, but it’s just not enough time for me to think about it and then, if I decided to join you, to get my stuff from my apartment. Thank you though. I really enjoyed spending last night with you guys.”  
“We enjoyed spending time with you too. I’m sorry I couldn’t give you more time to make a decision today.”  
“It’s ok. I truly appreciate the offer.”  
“Here,” he pulled a piece of paper and a pen from his pocket. “This is my number. Don’t worry, I’m not making a move or anything, I just figured if we can keep in touch then we might all be able to get together again sometime.”  
“That would be nice. Thank you again, and please pass my thanks on to Liam and Drake as well.”  
“Of course. It was nice to meet you, Sophia. Take care, and keep in touch.” He held his arms open for a hug.  
Sophia smiled before moving in to hug him. “I will. You take care too, Maxwell.”

The morning passed slowly, Kyle’s presence making the time drag even more. Sophia couldn’t help but wonder how her life would have changed if she had taken Maxwell up on his offer. But, at least she had made some new friends, it was just a shame she wouldn’t be able to spend more time with them.  
She was trying to block out Kyle’s voice as he complained about the events of the previous evening. She’d never felt strong enough to leave him before last night, but something had changed inside her since she’d spent time with Drake, Maxwell and Liam. She felt braver, stronger, they’d helped her realise she deserved better and she knew it wouldn’t be long before she would walk away from Kyle for good.

* * *

The bar was empty when Drake entered later that morning and he was met by a sight he recognised from the previous evening. Sophia was behind the bar, drying glasses and replacing them on the shelves, with Kyle stood close by, berating her about the night before.  
Kyle looked at Drake as he came to the bar. “Back for round two?”  
Drake didn’t dignify Kyle with an answer, instead turning his attention to Sophia.  
“I’m not interrupting anything am I?”  
“Not at all.” Sophia smiled, surprised but happy to see Drake. “What are you doing here? Aren’t you meant to be on the plane right about now?”  
Drake shrugged. “Change of plan.”  
“So, what? Thought you’d come back here and hit on my girlfriend?”  
“Kyle! Seriously, what is your problem?” Sophia felt embarrassed by the way he acted with Drake.  
Kyle ignored her and instead stepped towards Drake. “I’m serious about round two. Unless you’re too chicken.”  
“You really need to drop the self importance.” Drake said before Kyle squared up to him, challenging him.  
“Seriously, I meant what I said last night. You’re really not worth it.” Drake shook his head.  
Suddenly Kyle swung at Drake. Before Sophia knew what was happening, Drake had dodged the punch, and had Kyle bent face down over the bar, his arm pinned behind his back.  
Sophia stared at Drake in shock, momentarily speechless, before turning to Kyle.  
“You know what, Kyle? I’m done. I’m not taking your crap any more. I’ve already done so for too long.” She turned to Drake. “Is Maxwell’s offer still open?”  
“I was hoping you’d ask.” Drake grinned at Sophia and released Kyle, who rubbed his shoulder, scowling at Drake.  
She grabbed her bag from behind the bar.  
“Don’t try to contact me.” She said to Kyle, firmly, looking him straight in the eye.  
With that, she walked out of the bar, closely followed by Drake.  
“When do we leave?” She asked once they were out on the street.  
“We have a plane leaving in four hours. I’m afraid it’s a commercial flight. Maxwell took the last private flight back to Cordonia. We have plenty of time to go back to your place and pick up anything you need.” Drake answered as they walked in the direction of Sophia’s apartment.  
“You stayed after Maxwell left?”  
“Maxwell said that you needed more time to think about his offer. We figured if one of us stayed behind, then if you did change your mind, it wouldn’t be too late.”  
Sophia smiled. “What would I do without you guys?”  
“Spend the rest of your days with your arsehole boyfriend?”  
Sophia let out a laugh. “Nope. He’d still be my ex. It was going to happen sooner or later. Just meeting you guys helped me see things a bit clearer.”  
“Well, I’m glad we could be of service.” Drake smiled at her.

Drake sat on Sophia’s sofa as she packed her bags.  
“What do I need to pack?” She called from the bedroom.  
“If you have any nice dresses pack them. Being Maxwell’s sponsor means you’ll have to attend all sorts of dances and other events. Pack some normal stuff too, and whatever else you might want.”  
“I might need two or three bags.”  
“Don’t worry about it, bring as many as you need. I can help you carry them to the hotel and Liam’s arranged for a car to take us to the airport. If we have too much luggage, I’ll call Liam and see if he can sort something out.”  
It took Sophia just over a half hour to pack everything she thought she would need.  
”I’m sorry, I tried to be as quick as I could. I don’t want to be the reason we miss our flight.”  
”It’s ok, we’ve got plenty of time. Most of my stuff is packed already, so once we get to the hotel all I have to do is pick it up and we’ll be good to go. How are you feeling about it?”  
“Excited. Nervous. Kind of wondering what I’ve gotten myself into.” She smiled nervously at Drake.  
”It’ll be fine, I promise. You’ll have me and Maxwell to help you out if you need it. I know what it’s like being surrounded by nobility when you’re not of a noble house yourself, so you won’t be on your own.”

As they walked into the suite that Liam had hired for the bachelor party, Drake’s phone rang.  
“Hi Liam, we’re just getting my luggage from the hotel and we’ll be good to go.” He paused, a frown forming across his face. “Damn. Ok, well keep me posted. I’ll speak to you soon.”  
“Is everything ok?” Sophia asked as Drake hung up.  
“Cordonia is in a full national lock-down, along with the rest of Europe. All flights into and out of Europe have been cancelled. We’re stuck in New York”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings I can think of here.  
> I feel like this isn't my strongest story at the moment, but it does get better, I promise!

Drake unpacked his bags, while housekeeping sorted the other room for Sophia to stay in.  
“It’ll be nice to not have to share a room with Maxwell.” Drake said when they met back in the living area later on in the afternoon.  
“Is he that bad?”  
“He’s an acquired taste. Don’t get me wrong, he’s a good guy, he’s just good at annoying me too. On the plus side, he took the single bed so I could have the double.” Drake grinned.  
“Could you not have shared?” Sophia joked, winking at Drake with a smile.  
Drake frowned at her, without answering.  
“Maybe he took the single because he’s scared of you.” Sophia raised an eyebrow at him.  
“Scared of me? I’m not scary!”  
Sophia laughed. “Says the guy who just pinned someone to the bar.”  
“Oh come on, he was asking for it. I wouldn't do anything like that to Maxwell. Plus, it was self defence.”  
“And quite impressive.” A smile played on Sophia's lips.  
Drake shrugged. “My dad was in the King’s Guard, so he taught me a few things.”  
“Maybe you could teach me some self defence. Kyle wouldn’t treat me like crap again if I ever saw him.”  
“Maybe, just remind me not to get on your bad side once I’ve taught you.” Drake grinned.  
Sophia laughed. “I hope we don’t get sick of each other while we’re stuck here.”  
“I’m sure it'll be fine. I doubt we'll be stuck here for too long."  
“I hope you're right. Anyway, I better message Maxwell, see what this lock down means for the sponsorship and everything.”

'Hey Maxwell. So, I’m stuck in NY for a while. I’m sorry it will mess up the sponsorship.'

'Don’t worry. The whole thing has been called off until we can get back to normal, so nothing is messed up! Liam has assured me that you’ll have accommodation in NY for the three months we're locked down for and longer if necessary and you have Drake, so you’ll be fine. Granted he can be grumpy at times, but I’d rather him as a lock down companion to the one I actually have.'

'Three months! That is a long time with a virtual stranger. I just hope we don't get sick of each other. Oh no, that doesn’t sound good! Who is it?'

'You’ll be fine. Drake’s good at tolerating people. He puts up with me at least! My older brother, Bertrand. He’s the complete opposite to me; boring, no fun side, easily less cheerful than Drake! It’ll be fine though, I’m sure I’ll find plenty of ways to keep myself entertained.'

'We’re not locked down yet, but I guess we will be. I’ll have to figure out some things to do!'

'Well, you can expect plenty of content from me! In all honesty it’ll probably be as much for my own entertainment as anyone else’s.'

'I’ll look forward to it.'

'Oh, head’s up, I’m 6 hours ahead of you, so I’ll try not to message at all the wrong times, but I can’t make any promises!'

'It’s fine. I’ll try to do the same for you!'

'Oh and another thing before I go…I’m going to get Drake to help you prepare for the events ready for when they eventually happen. Expect lots of complaining! Anyway, I’m heading to bed. I’ll speak to you tomorrow.'

'You make it sound like something I can really look forward to! I don’t want him grumpy for the entire three months! Speak to you tomorrow. Night!'

'He’ll be fine, promise. Good night! Don’t let the bed bugs bite!'

Sophia laughed as she read Maxwell’s last message.  
“So I’ve just been told something you’re, by the sounds of it, not going to like.” She smiled amusedly at Drake as he groaned.  
“Go on, hit me. What does Maxwell want from me?”  
“He wants you to help me prepare for the events.”  
“He better not want me to waltz.”  
Sophia’s eyes lit up. “Waltz? I’ve always wanted to learn to waltz! It’s so romantic.” She smiled absent-mindedly as she imagined herself almost floating around a ballroom in a gorgeous dress.  
“There’ll be no romance from me, I can promise you that.” Drake said, bringing her back from her daydream.  
“Oh nice! Were you one of those boring kids who couldn’t play pretend?”  
“Hey, I wasn’t boring! I helped Liam sneak out of the palace on more than one occasion!”  
“Oh did you now? How rebellious of you.” Sophia said with a grin.  
“I better get to learn some things about you, so I can hold my own with banter. Otherwise this is going to be a long three months.”  
“You’re going to love it!” Sophia said with an amused smile.  
Drake rolled his eyes. “You hungry yet? I’m thinking of phoning down for room service.”  
“Sure. And why don’t we get some drinks? We can have a chilled night and you can tell me more about what I can expect once I get to Cordonia.”  
“Sounds good.”

Once they’d finished dinner, Drake poured himself a whiskey and a glass of wine for Sophia.  
He handed it to her and they made their way into the living area, and settled on opposite ends of the sofa, Sophia tucking her legs under herself.  
“So, what do you want to know first?”  
“Well, what have I gotten myself into, I guess?”  
Drake sighed. “Ok, so there will be a number of women from noble houses competing to ‘win’ Liam’s hand in marriage and become future queen of Cordonia. I’m not going to lie to you, some of the other women who will be competing aren’t the easiest to get along with.”  
“You know some of them? Does this mean I can get a look at my competition before this whole things starts?”  
Drake nodded. “Maxwell has pictures of some of them on social media. I’ll have a look.” He said, pulling his phone from his pocket, starting to scroll through Maxwell’s pictures. “Liam’s brother went through the same process. But sometime after he’d picked his bride, he abdicated, ended the engagement and went travelling.”  
“Oh, I bet that caused some controversy.”  
“Just a bit! Liam wasn’t prepared to take over as heir, but he is doing a good job. I don’t envy him.”  
“Would you not want a number of women fighting over you?” Sophia cocked an eyebrow at him.  
Drake let out a slight chuckle. “I’m not the type of guy who gets women fighting over him, trust me. Anyway, I’m not interested in any of them.” He handed his phone to Sophia. “Here’s a picture of the main contenders together at a previous event.”  
“Can I get the low down on them?”  
Drake leant closer to Sophia so he could look at the picture with her. She caught the scent of his cologne, woody and smoky, typically masculine, she thought as it filled her with a warmth. He pointed to each woman as he named them. “Olivia Nevrakis, childhood friend of Liam. Penelope, she seems nice enough. I don’t really know much about her. Same goes for Kiara. Hana Lee, all I know is she’s one of those good-at-everything people. Then we have Madeline. She was Leo’s pick before he abdicated. I’d say she’s more of a crown chaser than she is actually interested in Liam, but maybe that’s just my cynical side.”  
“That must be what Maxwell meant when he said it's not a fairy tale romance. They’re all really pretty. Are you really not attracted to any of them?”  
Drake pulled a face. “It’s all too pretentious for me. If I’m going to settle down with anyone I just want a nice, non noble girl, that I can live a normal life with. You don’t get many of them in a palace though.”  
“You’ll find someone. I’m a firm believer in things happening when they’re supposed to, and that everything happens for a reason.”  
“Yeah? So what’s the reason behind this virus?”  
Sophia looked thoughtful for a moment. “Can I get back to you on that one?”  
Drake laughed as she grinned at him.

Hours passed as Drake told Sophia more about Liam’s family, Cordonia, Maxwell and Bertrand until late into the night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Again, I don't think there are any trigger warnings for this chapter.
> 
> I will warn of a crappy carousel related joke though, so apologies for that! It sounded much better in my head! I hope it works at least a little. Just in case - the carousel I had in mind when writing had a variety of animals - not just horses and carriages. But from the internet apparently the Central Park carousel is just horses and carriages, so a bit of re-writing had to go into it.  
> So I hope that small part doesn't ruin the chapter. Maybe just block it out of your mind afterwards, haha!

Sophia looked at her phone when she woke up, and was hit by a brief wave of anxiety when she saw it was midday, four hours after her shift at the bar started. Then she remembered that shifts weren’t something she had to worry about any more.  
“Afternoon.” Drake nodded as she walked into the living area. “Did you have a good lay in?”  
“Yeah, until I woke up in a panic thinking I was late for work.”  
“Well, good news - that’s not something you’ve got to deal with anymore. And in more good news, we’re not getting locked down for a few days yet.”  
“We better make the most of being able to go out then.”  
“What do you have in mind?”  
“Well, that depends. What did you guys do during the bachelor weekend? I wouldn’t want to take you to do something you’ve already done.”  
“We spent two days in Central Park.”  
“You’re joking.”  
Drake shook his head. “One day was spent at the zoo and walking round probably aimlessly, then the other day was spent walking around searching for Belvedere Castle.”  
“Did you find it?”  
“Eventually. And to be fair, it was worth the search.”  
“It is a nice view from there. There’s other things we could do in Central Park, but you might be sick of it now.” Sophia grinned.  
“Throw your suggestions at me and I’ll tell you.”  
“Well, we could rent a boat and go rowing on the lake. There’s the carousel.”  
“The carousel sounds good. We couldn't go on it during the bachelor party.”  
"How come? It's not like you didn't spend enough time there." Sophia cocked an eyebrow at him amusedly.  
“Maxwell has a phobia of them, so it wouldn't have been fair to even suggest it. But that’s a story for him to tell.”  
“Poor Maxwell! Let me just get changed, then we can go on the carousel and then see if we can discover any other parts of the park you haven't explored yet.” Sophia grinned.  
"Hey, you may mock us, but you probably won't find another bachelor party that did as much walking as we did." Drake grinned.

* * *

When they got to the carousel, it was already taking a group of people round. Drake got his phone out and took a video.   
"These things always seemed to last longer when you were a kid." Drake said, as the carousel came to a stop and it was time for him and Sophia to take their seats on the horses.  
“Let’s get a picture.” Drake leaned across so he could get them both in the picture. He flashed a hint of a smile into the camera and Sophia flashed a peace sign with a wink.  
“Perfect. I'll send it to Maxwell.” Drake said.  
"Aw, that seems mean if he doesn't like them."  
"He's not so afraid of them that he can't look at them." Drake laughed.  
“Can we get a quick video when it starts?” Sophia asked.  
“Sure.” Drake got his phone ready for another video.  
Sophia giggled as the music began to play and the carousel slowly began to turn.  
Drake started the video when the carousel reached the halfway point of its first rotation. Sophia waved into the camera. When Drake ended the video he sent it along with the previous one to Maxwell, before snapping a couple more photos and slipping his phone back into his pocket.

After their ride on the carousel, Drake and Sophia explored more of Central Park and the city.

* * *

Later that evening, Maxwell checked in with Sophia.

'I see you had fun with Drake this afternoon.'

'Yes! I loved riding that massive cock(erel).' She wrote back, adding a winking emoji, following up with 'Just joking. This carousel only had horses and carriages.'

It was a few minutes before Maxwell replied.

'Ok, firstly a heads up, when you eventually meet Bertrand, no dirty jokes, especially rubbish ones! He missed out on the humour gene. Secondly, don’t get your hopes up!'

'Maxwell! You wait until I tell Drake what you just suggested about him!'

'Don’t you dare!'

Sophia didn’t reply straight away, as her and Drake had dinner. When she looked at her phone later on, she had multiple messages. 

'Sophia? You didn’t tell him did you?'  
'Sophia?'  
'Seriously Sophia, this isn’t funny.'

'Oh Maxwell…'

'What does oh Maxwell mean? Oh man, you told him didn’t you? I’m going to have to leave Ramsford as soon as lockdown is lifted.'

Sophia laughed. “I get the impression Maxwell is scared of you.”  
Drake looked at her questioningly.  
“I might be winding him up a little. I couldn’t resist. It may involve you too. Sorry.”  
“Do I want to know?”  
Drake laughed heartily when Sophia explained what had been said.  
“He’s fun to wind up. Oh, and in response to his smart ass remark - no comment.” He said with a wink, as he got up from the dining table and made his way to the sink with the dirty plates.  
Sophia shook her head, a small smile playing on her lips.

'I think you’re safe. You can continue to call Ramsford your home.'

'Good! You wouldn’t have enjoyed your time here if you only had Bertrand to spend time with.'

'Oh he can’t be that bad.'

'We’ll review that comment once you’ve met him. Anyway, I want Drake to start teaching you the Cordonian waltz.''

'I’ve always wanted to learn to waltz! Drake doesn’t strike me as much of a dancer though?'

'You’re not wrong. He’ll hate every minute of it.'

'Great. Sounds like I’ll have a fantastic time!'

'I’ll be with you albeit via Zoom, so yes, you will indeed have a fantastic time.'

“I don’t like what Maxwell just messaged me.” Drake said, emerging from the kitchen, a bottle of whiskey in one hand and a tumbler in the other.  
“Oh? What’s that?”  
“Waltz classes start tomorrow.”  
“I know and it’s great news!” Sophia enthused, grinning at Drake.  
Drake frowned at her. “No.”  
“Oh lighten up. It’s not like the waltz is going to make you fall in love with me.” She joked.  
“Yeah, falling in love with you wasn't exactly something I was worried about.” Drake shrugged.  
“Oh thanks!” Sophia couldn’t help but feel hurt by his words.  
“No offence.”  
“Oh sure. None taken.” Sophia rolled her eyes in annoyance. She felt his comment hadn’t been necessary. She’d only been trying to joke with him, but his reaction made her feel embarrassed. Suddenly, she wasn't so keen to spend lock down with him.

* * *

The rest of the evening passed in silence. Sophia hadn’t even sat on the same sofa as Drake. Instead she had curled up in an armchair with a book, while he sat on the sofa, brooding over a whiskey.  
“Hey, look. I’m sorry about earlier. I didn’t mean for what I said to sound how it did. It’s not that you’re unattractive or anything like that.” Drake explained awkwardly.  
“It’s fine. I’ve just come out of a crappy relationship. I have no intentions of looking for anything new, especially not with someone like you. No offence.”  
Drake didn’t miss the sarcastic tone in her voice and sighed. “Like I said, I’m sorry.”  
She smiled half heartedly at him. “I think I’m going to go for a walk.”  
“By yourself?”  
“Did I invite you?”  
“No, I just…is it safe on your own in the dark?”  
“I’ve survived before, I’m sure I’ll survive another night. It’s not like a vampire is going to jump me.”  
“Ok." Drake shook his head. "I know you’re mad at me, but if you need me, call or message me.”  
“I’ll be fine.”  
Without another word, she walked out of the suite, swinging the door closed behind her.  
Drake sighed as the door banged, sinking the rest of his whiskey, before leaving the suite himself.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Trigger Warning!   
> Violence/assualt
> 
> This one seems quite a short chapter, sorry!

Drake hated the thought of Sophia walking round New York alone at night, although he knew if she caught him following her, she would be far from happy about it. He couldn’t help feeling protective of her though. He’d failed his own sister when she was at the palace, and he was damned if he was going to fail Sophia too.  
When he walked out onto the street, he caught sight of Sophia turning the corner. He rounded the corner himself to see a man in a hooded jacket, cigarette in his mouth, walking towards Sophia. The man flicked the cigarette away, before turning and following Sophia. Drake felt his heart beating harder, anxious for Sophia. She turned to look at the man who was following her and began to run, but before she could get away, the man closed the distance and grabbed her, dragging her into the park.  
Without hesitation Drake ran to where he’d seen them go. He couldn’t see them at first, but he heard Sophia’s cry.  
“Kyle, let me go! You’re hurting me!”  
“You shouldn’t have left me, Sophia. You’ll regret it.”  
“The only thing I regret is not leaving a jerk like you sooner.” She tried to free herself from the vice like grip he had around her wrist.  
“Don’t talk to me like that, bitch.” Kyle said through gritted teeth.  
“Leave me alone!” She continued to try to yank her wrist free, but Kyle tightened his grip, pulling her closer, so their faces were only inches apart.  
“Never. You’re mine.”  
“She said, leave her alone.” Drake said, stepping forward.  
Kyle turned to Drake. “Oh here he is. The new boyfriend. You whore.” He turned back to Sophia and without hesitation, she spat directly in Kyle’s face.  
Fury filled his eyes. "You dirty bitch." He released her, before slapping her around the face with the back of his hand. Sophia stumbled and fell, hiting the ground hard.  
Drake instantly saw red. He closed the distance between him and Kyle in a heartbeat, fists clenched at his side.  
“I thought I wasn’t worth it.” Kyle sneered at Drake, mocking him.  
“You crossed a line. You never raise your hand at a woman.”  
Kyle laughed, before pulling Sophia to her feet and shoving her toward Drake.  
“She’s your problem now.”  
Drake caught Sophia and glared at Kyle as he walked away. He wanted nothing more than to go after him but he knew Sophia needed him.  
“You shouldn’t have come after me Drake.” Sophia glared at him, tears pooling in her eyes.  
“I would never leave you out here on your own. He is exactly why I worried about your safety.” He said, ignoring her annoyance.  
She looked at him in silence. "Thank you." She looked at him a moment longer, before sinking to the ground in tears. He wrapped his arms around her, sitting on the ground, cradling her as she held him tight, crying into his chest.  
“Hey, it’s ok. You’re safe, I promise. I’m here. I won’t let him hurt you again.” He gently stroked her hair, and continued to soothe her until her crying subsided.  
“You ready to head back to the suite?”  
She sniffed and nodded, letting Drake help her get to her feet. He put his arm protectively around her shoulders as they walked back to the hotel.  
“I’m sorry again for earlier. What I said didn’t come out how I meant it. I’m sorry I upset you.”  
“It’s ok, it was me getting too defensive. I guess it’s going to take a while to unlearn the stuff I’ve taught myself from being with Kyle.”  
“Well, you’ve got me, Maxwell and Liam now. We’ll do our best to keep you smiling and help you out along the way.”  
“Thanks.”

Sophia kept her head down as they walked through the hotel, making their way up to the suite.  
Once they were safely locked in, Drake turned to her.  
“How are you feeling? Are you ok?”  
“I’m fine.” She said, her gaze glued to the ground.  
“Can I see your face?”  
Sophia shook her head. “It’ll be ok.”  
Drake softly placed his hand on her cheek, gently lifting her face. He caught his breath when he saw the bruise that was beginning to form on her cheek. He bit his lip, shaking his head, anger filling him. He couldn’t believe that someone like Sophia had ended up with a jerk like Kyle.  
“Let me get some ice for that.” Drake disappeared into the kitchen, while Sophia settled herself on the sofa.  
When he returned, he handed her the ice wrapped in a small towel, before sitting down at the opposite end of the sofa.  
“Well, I’m not exactly fit for a prince now.” Sophia joked, although Drake could see the sadness in her eyes.  
He looked at her, his head full of things he wanted to say but unsure of what would be the right thing. “Yes you are. You may have an impressive bruise, but it doesn’t make you any less attractive.”  
Sophia couldn’t help but smile at Drake. “Is that a compliment? I didn’t think you had it in you.” She didn’t think he actually thought she was attractive himself. Nevertheless it made her feel slightly better.  
Drake rolled his eyes. “I’m glad you’re still able to have a joke. Are you going to be ok?”  
Sophia nodded. “Yeah. And for the first time in a long time, I actually mean that. I feel safe with you, and soon we’ll be in Cordonia and I won’t have to worry about Kyle any more.”  
“Has he done anything like that to you before?”  
Sophia shrugged. “Just the once or twice.”  
Drake clenched his jaw in anger. “If I see him again…”  
Sophia put a hand on his arm, cutting him off. “He’s not worth it. Promise me, you won’t waste your time on him.”  
Drake pulled a face, before conceding defeat. “Fine, I promise. For you.”  
“Thank you. I think I’m going to head to bed now. I’ll see you in the morning.”  
“Ok. If you need anything in the night, message me, call me, come bang on my door, whatever. Ok?”  
Sophia nodded and smiled weakly at Drake. “I will.”

* * *

Sophia laid in bed and messaged Maxwell.

'I’m going to have to take a rain check on the waltz class tomorrow. Sorry.'

She put the phone on the bedside table and turned over, pulling the covers tight around her as she began to quietly cry once more.

Drake had just poured himself another whiskey, when his phone notified him of an incoming video call. He rested against the kitchen worktop and answered.

“Hey Maxwell.”  
“Is Sophia ok?”  
“Why do you ask?”  
“She just messaged me to say she’s taking a rain check on the waltz tomorrow. She seemed so excited earlier.”  
Drake sighed. “She’s had a rough evening.” Drake filled Maxwell in on the events of the evening.  
“I hate that guy. You should have gone after him, Drake. He deserves it.”  
“I know, trust me, I wanted to. But Sophia needed me and she doesn’t want me to do it. I’ve got to respect her wishes.”  
Maxwell sighed. “That’s fair. I won’t mention this to her. Just let her know that you’ve filled me in and that if she changes her mind, I’m still happy to teach her to waltz tomorrow.”  
“I will.”


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> No trigger warnings I can think off. Just referral to the actions of the previous chapter.
> 
> I know the past few chapters haven't been the strongest or best, but it gets better (hopefully you agree!) going forwards after this, I promise!

Drake was up before Sophia the next morning. He left a note on the kitchen worktop and left for the city.  
When he came back, he headed straight for the kitchen, where Sophia was pouring some juice.  
“Man, that bruise is impressive. I’m sorry I couldn’t stop him from doing it to you.”  
“It’s not your fault. I should have listened to you and not gone out on my own. I knew it was a stupid idea, but I was frustrated and stubborn.”  
“We’ve all been there.”  
“You strike me as the stubborn kind.”  
Drake held his hands up. “Guilty.”  
Sophia laughed.  
“Anyway, I bought you something.”  
“You did? Why?”  
“Because you deserve cheering up.” He handed her a bag.  
She eyes lit up when she looked inside. “Cronuts and muffins. Lovely!”  
“And there’s these.” Drake handed her another bag.  
“There’s more?”  
Drake nodded.  
Sophia pulled out a coffee face mask and a rose bath bomb.  
“Wow, thank you Drake.”  
“I thought you deserved a little pick me up. I hope I got the right scent.”  
Sophia smiled at him. “You did. I love rose and the coffee mask is just what I need to make me feel more awake.”  
“You should have called on me if you were having a bad night. I meant it when I said you could get me up. I’d happily sit and keep you company.”  
“It’s ok. I was in and out of sleep and when I did sleep my dreams were just of him grabbing me and not letting me go. I kept waiting for you to come and rescue me, but you never did.”  
“I’m sorry.”  
Sophia let out a little laugh. “It’s not your fault. You can’t control what happens in my dreams.”  
“If it happens again tonight, promise me you’ll get me up. I’ll sit up with you as long as you need.”  
“Thanks Drake.”  
“Go have your pamper.”  
Sophia smiled as she collected up the products and a cronut before she disappeared into the en suite.

When Sophia returned from her pampering session, she grabbed her book and curled up on the sofa.  
“Ready to waltz?”  
Sophia looked up, frowning, until she noticed Drake was in a suit. Her eyes widened in surprise.  
“Why are you all dressed up?”  
“I know you told Maxwell you wanted to take a rain check today. Don’t be mad, but I told him what happened, because he was concerned by your sudden turn around. He understands, but he said if you change your mind, he’ll be happy to carry on.”  
“But you don’t like waltzing.”  
Drake shrugged. “You’ve had a crap time, so I thought I’d put some effort in, just this once.” He grinned at her. “I’ll even play pretend and make it romantic too, if it’ll help cheer you up.”  
Sophia couldn’t help but smile. “Well, in that case, if you making an effort is a one time only thing, I better not let the opportunity pass.”  
“Go change into something comfortable and I’ll get Maxwell.”

Drake and Maxwell were casually chatting over Zoom when Sophia returned. Drake looked up, his voice catching, mid sentence. He cleared his throat.  
“Wow, Dixon, you look amazing.”  
She wore a blue, one sleeved dress, that sparkled when it caught the light. It hugged her curves perfectly, with a split that ran to half way up her thigh.  
“Thank you, Drake.” She smiled. “It’s not a dress for waltzing, but it’s the best I have. I figured if you were putting the effort in, then I would too.”  
“Woah, Dixon the Vixen.” Maxwell exclaimed when she walked into view and stood beside Drake.  
“Shut up, Maxwell.” She laughed, feeling slightly embarrassed by the attention from the two men.  
“So, are you ready to begin today’s taster class?”  
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Drake sighed.  
“Ok, so Drake, you’ll be leading Sophia. Sophia, just follow Drake, mirror his steps. Otherwise you’ll just be stepping on each other. Today, I want you guys to just do your best effort, no instruction, so I have an idea of what I’m working with.”  
“That sounds like lazy teaching. You know I don't dance.” Drake said.  
“Well, I don’t want to do too much work on my birthday.” Maxwell grinned.  
“Oh crap.” Drake muttered as he realised he’d forgotten Maxwell’s birthday.  
“It’s your birthday? Happy Birthday!”  
“Thanks Sophia!”  
“Happy Birthday, Maxwell. Sorry it’s in lockdown.”  
“Believe me, I will be making up for it as soon as I can. But for now, watching you two waltz will be good enough for me.”  
The Cordonian Waltz began to play over the laptop, and Drake took his position, taking Sophia’s right hand in his left, placing his other hand on her waist.  
“Just rest your hand on my arm. Ready?”  
Sophia nodded and Drake took one smooth step back. She continued following his lead, turning with him, and following each change in direction, but they tripped over each other's feet more than a handful of times. As the song ended, Drake dipped Sophia, their faces only inches apart. Sophia held his gaze a moment longer than she felt she should have, feeling her heart fluttering in her chest and quickly looked away with a smile. He pulled her back up and they turned to the laptop.  
“So? How did we do?” Sophia asked Maxwell. Despite the few trips, she felt they had done a fairly decent job, at least for a first time.  
“That actually was better than I was expecting, even if all the turns we the wrong way. But still, you surprise me Drake.”  
Drake shrugged. “I guess I must have subconsciously picked some stuff up from watching you all at events.”  
“You’re a secret waltz lover. Got it.”  
“No, Maxwell.”  
“And Sophia, not bad for a first time. I’m impressed. So next time, we'll fix what went wrong and we can polish the dance up bit by bit. Shall we meet again same time next week?”  
“Sounds good. So, how are things at Ramsford?” Sophia asked.  
“I’m bored. So bored. Bertrand is driving me crazy.”  
“Are you sure that’s not the other way round?” Drake raised an eyebrow.  
“Some might say that. But you know Bertrand. Come on, Drake, which of us would you rather be locked down with?”  
Drake let out a heavy sigh. “Seriously Maxwell, I’d rather be locked down alone. You would drive me absolutely mad, but me and Bertrand aren’t exactly friends, so I guess I’d have to pick you.”  
Maxwell fist pumped the air. “I knew I was your favourite person.”  
Drake shook his head and rolled his eyes.  
After another hour of conversation, Maxwell said his goodbyes, leaving Drake and Sophia to each others company once more.  
“Before we get changed, can I get a picture of us? I’m thinking of making a memories box of all the fun things we do during lock down and on the rest of this adventure I’ve found myself on.”  
“Sure.”  
They both smiled into the camera as Sophia took a couple of pictures, careful to hide her bruise as best as she could.  
“I feel like I should have got one with Maxwell in the background too.”  
“Don’t worry, there’ll be plenty of times you can get a picture with Maxwell too. You’ll have at least one opportunity every week for the next 3 months.”  
“True.” Sophia smiled.  
“So, what do you want to do now?”  
“I don’t really fancy going out if I’m honest. The whole thing with Kyle has made me feel anxious and the bruising makes me feel quite self conscious. Maybe we could just hang out here and watch a movie later?”  
“Sounds good to me. I’m sorry if I overstepped with the waltzing. I didn’t think about you possibly feeling uncomfortable.”  
“It’s ok.” Sophia smiled. “I had fun and actually forgot about it for a while.”  
“I’m glad me and Maxwell could help out for a bit.” Drake smiled. “I’ll go out and get us some snacks. What do you want to watch tonight?”  
“I don’t mind. You waltzed to cheer me up, so I’ll let you choose.”  
“I’ll see what I can find while I’m out.”

While Drake was out, Sophia looked at her reflection in the bathroom mirror.  
She looked at the bruise that covered her cheek. She was relieved that it hadn’t reached her eye. She shook her head, amazed at her own naivety to have stayed with Kyle as long as she had done. She regretted not having had the confidence to have left him sooner. Then her thoughts travelled to Drake, Maxwell and Liam. She couldn’t help but smile at the memory of that evening. They had flipped her night and reminded her of what a good time was. She felt bad for how she had been so annoyed at Drake the previous evening, when he had saved her from Kyle. He hadn’t really done anything wrong, certainly nothing she had needed to walk out over, and if he hadn’t followed her, who knows what would have happened to her in Kyle’s hands.  
She liked Drake and what he’d done for her today had only made her like him more. She hadn’t experienced that amount of care from a male for as long as she could remember.


End file.
